Fluid pump



Y Feb. 22, 194 9. I c. F. HAUTAU FLUID PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1946 INVENTOR. CHARLES E HA UTAU AT OR EY C. F. HAUTA U Feb. 22, 1949'.

FLUID PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Filed Sept. 9, 1946 INVENTOR. CHARLES F HAUTAU ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 22, 1949 FLUID PUMP Charles F. Hautau, Huntington Woods, Mich, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Appliance poration of Michigan Application September 9, 1946, Serial No. 695,750

12 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid pumps and particularly to air pumps or fans of the kind employed with vacuum cleaners, although in its broadest aspects itrelates to any fluid moving device.

An object of the invention is to generally improve air impellers, and to provide a. device of that character which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and highly efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an air impeller which is constructed and arranged in such manner that a greatly increased head is obtained without appreciable increase in the horsepower or motor speed, and with a resulting insignificant audible disturbance.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fan constructed and arranged in such manner that the centrifugal forces generated in fans of conventional design are greatly minimized.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fan having blades and supporting web made of an integrated stamping.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fan constructed and arranged with blades having long curves, which collectively present a substantially continuous working surface adjacent the outside periphery, which tends to maintain the pressure, especially at low deliveries, with a minimum of air disturbance and leakage.

The applicant is aware of the fact that the art of centrifugal pumps, fans and compressors is highly developed. He also appreciates the fact that the performance of small high speed machines has been unpredictable, due to the influence of comparatively great leakage, and the effects of viscosity and the compressibility of the fluid on the flow.

Aircraft superchargers have been greatly refined but their application to domestic uses, such as for vacuum cleaners, is prohibitive because of the cost and weight factors. In the domestic fields the requirements of low cost and light weight have been met by the resort to the use of sheet metal construction, with'large clearances between the fixed and moving members of the assembly.

Domestic vacuum cleaner fans'are generally of the shrouded type, with radial flow, and consist of discs mounted to the drive shaft, the discs having vanes secured thereto to impart rotation to the fluid. The discs also employ a shroud or cover attached'to the vanes on the opposite side of the disc, withacentral hole 'for the entrance Development Company, Oak Park, Mich, a cor- Z of the fluid between the, shroud and the disc. In those structures the shrouds support the vanes and prevent the fluid from escaping the action of the vanes by entering the large clearance between the fan and the housing. In such known structures the centrifugal forces developed by high speeds, make it extremely difiicult to maintain the vanes in position.

The instant invention contemplates the mak-, ing of the vanes integral with the driving disc, the shroud, or both by drawing projections in the sheet material of which they are formed. Such .a process has greatversatilityin allowing the productionof projections of any .desired outline, which permits the designer great freedom in his choice of shape and contour for the vanes, all of which results in an inexpensive method of fabricating a device of the character indicated with the cost and weight factors reduced to a minimum.

The fabrication of the fan in the manner here in taught permits the. assembly of a single stage fan from two accurately and uniformly matched pieces, which insures perfect balance at comparatively high speeds. It also lends itself to mul,- tiple stage applications wherein the fluid passes from the exterior of one fan to the entrance of the next. 7

The invention further contemplates the incorporation in multiple stage applications and integral with the shroud of the fan, or integral with that part of the interstage passageway adjacent to the following fan, of a short tubular portion which clears the adjacent memberof the assembly radially by a smaller dimension than the axial clearance between the fixed and moving members. This reduces the clearance through which leakage might occur, and through proper design in multiple stage applications the leakage through radial clearances may be reducedto a minimum. Y

The foregoin and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawwith housing and motor.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, my improved fan comprises a circular sheet of aluminum I, or other suitable material, which is stamped with a plurality ofvcomparatively, deep recesses 8- which are substantially in the form of curved tear drops.

, The recesses 8 have inclined side walls 9 along their widest section, which side walls tend to approach the perpendicular as they skirt the narrow portion of the recesses, as at I6.

The recesses 8 are arranged in staggered relation around the face of theplate I (Fig. 1), so

that the narrow portion of one recess overlies the wide portion of the adjacent recess. On the reverse side (Fig. 3) the side walls II and I2 of' the shroud I l contacts theibacksaof the'recesses 8,=theplate-"I--and .the shroud I' l remain .in spaced relation 'todefine'an air space substantiallyv the depth of ithe'reces'ses*8-.- "The shroud I4;has;a central opening I6 whereby the fan may-libs mounted ona shaft: The plate =I "has, a cut-out portion" which serves asa port for incoming .air. -1- Inoperation; the fan is rotated in: the direction indicated by the arrows in'Fi gnl,v the .airenters the spacedefined between thetplates land shroud :I-4-,-through--the cut-out -portion I1, and moves radially where it is .picked up by. the inside walls oithe recessesfi and is discharged thr-ough the passages I3 to the periphery of the..fan.- In a-multi'ple stage .fan, suchcas disclosed in -Fig 4; the air: discharged: fromthe periphery of a rotating fan is picked up at the periphery. by a V stationary member constructed in substantially 'closedin l 'ig' 1,:mounte'd ona shaft I8, which is provided with'spacers I8A, of a motor I9 =whic-h'is supported by roller-bea-ringslfl and.2l carried in 'thehousingZ Z; The'reference characters 23 and 24":indicate brush-holder's for themotor 2'9. 1. A cover-plate i5. is secured to the housing 22 by means ofymachine screws 'zfip Thecoverplate 25 ease central-opening- 21* through: which air is drawngzas-shown' by the-arrows Fig; 4; --In this embodimentthe first stagefan 28 is 'secured to theshaft -=I8 and rotates therewith. The fan' .23 l

is constructed as shown'in Fig.1, and described 7 hereinapove; .L -Ihe-stat'or 29 is -constructed'inthesanie'manher as is the fan '28, except in this instance the "backing :plate on shroud '30 issecured tothecover plate c 2-ii''- and remains stationary. The edgeof the cut -out portion 3i 'of :the;rstator Bil'i's bent "inwardlyand:overhangs the :edge of the zcut out portiona32-1formed-in the plate-3.3 comprising part of the second stage fan 34 which is'secured-there- I 'stators35'is -bentainwardly so that thereris again a minimum of clearance between the stator 35*.and

:the'third stage, fan 38'. This arrangement reduces to.:a,-minimum=;thepossibility of airleakage and back pressure being built up.

' The housing 22 is formed with a web 39 which serves as a stator for the air discharged from the periphery of the third stage fan 38. The air discharged from the thirdstage fan 38 passes 'through the housing cooling the motor I9, and is dischargedthrough the end of the housing opposite the fans.

Although I have shown a three stage assembly, .it. will be understood that any number of stages may be employed by providing additional fans and stators for the required results.

. -,A fan constructed-as herein disclosed is very .light in weight, is inexpensive to manufacture, and produces a very substantial head with a min- .imum ofhorsepower, and with a minimum of noise and air disturbance.

, 'Having' described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fan comprising a circular plate formed with a plurality of tear drop shape recesses formed thereinyeachof" said recesses having inclined side walls along the widest section, the inclinationof the side, walls; gradually beingreduced as the widthof the-recess isreducedr 2. The structure defined in claim 1, in which the longitudinal walls of said recesses define long curvesand said recesses are arranged in staggered relation, with-thenarrow portion of one recess overlying a substantial part ofthe wide portion of an adjacent recess, there being a, comparatively narrow passageway defined between adjacent recesses. j

' The structure-definedin claim 1, including a comparatively large centrally positioned cut-out portion adapted to serve as an air intake, and a backing plate' o r shroud integral with the backs .of said recesses.v I

zAfan comprisinga pair of comparatively thin matched vrstamping secured in spaced rela- .tion by. welding, one of said stampings being provided with a plurality of overlapping tear drop shape recesses along thejperiphery thereof, the adjacent recesses defining narrow passageways, and each recess having gradually inclined sidewalls alongthe widest section thereof.

15. The structure defined in claim 4,-in which said one ofisaid stampings is provided with a large centrallydisposed cut-cut portion.

6.1A fan comprising a pair of matched stampings, one Of which. is provided with a plurality of overlapping recesses, the adjacent walls of which recesses are progressively inclined and defined" peripherally directed narrow air passageways. a v

7. A fan comprising a pair of thin matched plates; one ofsaid plates havinga plurality of overlapping arcuate recesses formed therein, said 7 recesses comprising spacers between said plates,

the walls of said recesses being progressively inclinedand the walls of adjacent-recessesdefining :narrowpassageways terminatin along the outer cuteout portion, the edges of the cut-out portion aotlcne plate being bent axially, and extending into the cut-out portionoi an adjacent plate.

9. In a device of the character described, the

combination witha motor and a housing of a plurality of fans and stators, each 'fan'and each stator comprising apair c-f matched plates, one

plate of' each pair: having aplurality of over- ;lappingarcuate recesses formed therein,'the walls .of,:.said recesses: being progressively inclined and adjacent recesses defining narrow air passageways terminating at the periphery of said plates. 10. The combination defined in claim 9, in which one plate of each pair is provided with a centrally positioned cut-out portion adapted to serve as an air passageway.

11. In a device of the character described, the

, combination with a motor and a housing of a 12. The combination defined in claim 11, in which one of the plates of each stator is provided with a centrally positioned cut-out portion, the edges of which are bent axially and extend into the cut-out portion of an adjacent plate to define an air passageway.

CHARLES F. HAUTAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,116,194 Wynn, Jr. Nov. 3, 1914 2,083,996 Jonn June 15, 1937 2,172,180 Schellens Sept. 5, 1939 2,208,041 Norin July 16, 1940 

